@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

	"Because you have seen Me, you have believed.
Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have
believed." Jesus, John 20:29

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

The Coldest December
By Aimee

Chapter Six

	"I hear you telling me this is everything
	you need, but I don't think it's true.
	Because the way you feel isn't real,
	You attempt to try and fill the void that's
	digging through, and it's killing you."
	~Michael W. Smith

	It was the dead of night. The clouds looming
over the horizon hid the moon, and the deep shadows
that covered the city were at their darkest. Awakening
from a restless sleep, my eyes snapped open to the
quiet sounds of the night. The air in my bedroom was
thick and heavy--almost oppressive. Squinting so
that I could see in the darkness, I sat up quickly
in bed and glanced at glowing red letters of my alarm
clock. 3:42 a.m. Breathing deeply, I tried to slow
the erratic beating of my heart.
	Something was very wrong.
	Almost on cue, the insistent beeping of my
senshi communicator broke through the silence, making
me jump in fright. Taking a few more deep breaths
to calm my raw nerves, I reached over to grab the
communicator from the night table. Turning it on, I
was greeted by the tired but aware gaze of Ami. "My
senshi computer's activity alarm woke me up," she
informed me. "There's movement on the north side of
the town, near the mall. It's very likely that it's
a youma. Hurry, Usagi."
	"I'm on it!" I assured her, clicking off
the communicator and reaching for my locket. After
completing the transformation, I slipped out through
the window. Breaking into a run, I hit the streets
of Tokyo.

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

	"I'm here!" I cried in a singsong voice,
hurdling over a few bushes and tree roots. Catching
sight of my fellow Sailor Senshi, I ran to join
them, inwardly cursing at myself for always being
the last to arrive.
	"According to my computer," Mercury began,
"there are three figures approximately 100 yards
north of our present location. Two of them are
emitting dark energy. My guess is that the third
is a victim."
	"Two?" I gasped. We had never faced two at
the same time before, and the very thought of it
frightened me.
	A scream pierced through the silence of
the night. The senshi and I rounded the corner in
a terrible rush, hoping and praying that it was
not too late for the owner of that broken voice.
We stopped when we came into viewing distance of
the three figures. They stood under a street lamp.
A young man, the one who was screaming, was on his
knees in pain as a youma drained energy from him.
The third figure, hidden by the shadows, stood and
watched, hovering slightly off the ground.
	The moon came out from behind the clouds,
and the face of the third figure came into the light.
"That's not a youma ..." Mars breathed, her eyes
widening.
	"Zoycite!" Venus exclaimed.
	Before anyone could say another word, another
horrifying scream escaped from the young man's lips
as the youma's attack on him intensified. I gasped
in fright. "We've got to do something!"
	"Let's go!" Jupiter cried.
	"Oh no..." I groaned when the other senshi
broke out into a sprint. If there's one thing I
hate doing, it's running--and God knows I've done
my share of it when I'm late to school. Still, I
took off running after my friends, and when we
arrived, I was panting and gasping for breath.
	"Hold it *gasp* right there *wheeze* Zoycite!"
	Cold eyes narrowed at me. "You..." he growled.
"I suggest you stay out of this if you know what's
good for you."
	"Not a chance!" Jupiter growled as she stepped
forward, her fist clenched.
	Zoycite laughed. He actually *laughed* at
Jupiter. Dear readers, there is one thing I have
learned never *ever* to do, and that is to mock
Sailor Jupiter. My friend turned red with anger, and
I cowered in fear as her fists began to clench even
tighter. Zoycite must have noticed the growing rage
of my friend as well, for he gave a weak smile and
said, "Till next time, ladies."
	With that, he vanished in a flood of rose
petals, his laughter echoing in the night sky. I
shuddered at the sound as rose petals snowed down
upon me. "He certainly knows how to make an exit,
doesn't he?"
	"Forget about Zoicite," Mars said, pointing
to the youma, who had departed from the now-unconscious
man. "We've got more important things to deal with
right now."
	Sucking in my breath, I peered at the youma,
completely amazed. It was the first time that I had
actually looked at it speculatively. Donned entirely
in black, it was tall and slim. Blood red eyes glared
at me, hate emanating from their depths. In all
honesty, it appeared to be someone who'd read Bram
Stoker's "Dracula" a few too many times. Glancing
it over once more, I did the only reasonable thing
that came to mind...
	I burst into a fit of giggles.
	"A vampire?" I wheezed, laughing at the
ridiculousness of the whole scene in front of me.
It was too much. Couldn't the NegaVerse come up
with something more original? (author's note: hmmm,
it certainly seems Aimee couldn't.) "Yo, El Chupacabra!"
I mocked the dark shadow in the distance shamelessly.
"Halloween was three months ago! You're a little
late, buddy!"
	"I vant to suck your blood ..." Jupiter
joined in my laughter.
	"Ladies, I think you're making him angry,"
Mercury gulped nervously. "I'd strongly advise you
to stop."
	"C'mon, Mercury!" Jupiter argued, giving
our favorite bookworm a friendly 'pat' on the back.
Mercury winced in pain. "Live a little! Don't you
find this funny?"
	"There's nothing amusing about nocturnal
exsanguination," Mercury answered, growing paler
by the moment.
	"Exsanguin-what?" Venus murmured.
	"Will you two grow up and start acting your
age!" Mars scolded Jupiter and me. "We've got a youma
to fight if you haven't noticed. Now, are you ready
or not?"
	As if on cue, the youma stepped from the
shadows. I swallowed hard, not wanting to admit to
myself that this badly dressed Halloween monster
was frightening me. It moved slowly, with unconcerned
strides. A slight chuckle escaped from its lips, and
it chilled me to the core. Suddenly, I wished I hadn't
made light of the situation at hand. Mercury was
right--exsanguination, whatever the heck that was,
did not sound like a pleasant way to die.
	"I don't like this ..." I whispered, stepping
behind Mars.
	"So let's do something about it," Venus said,
preparing to attack. "Crescent Beam!"
	The attack raced toward the youma at breakneck
speed. Closer...closer...and then suddenly, the youma
disappeared. The red-hot beam burned past the place
where the youma should have stood and dissipated.
	"Wait a second," Venus muttered, blinking in
disbelief.
	"W-where'd he go?" Mars stuttered.
	We looked around frantically, surveying the
area around us for the black shadow of a monster.
The night suddenly became ridiculously quiet. The
silence was more deafening than any other sound I
could have ever imagined. "I don't like this...I
don't like this..." I cowered in fear, gripping
Jupiter's arm for comfort.
	Mercury's computer gave off multiple beeps
and boops while she typed busily away. "He's close,
you guys," she said, doing computation after
computation. "Only twenty yards away."
	"In what direction?" Mars asked impatiently.
For the first time, I heard fear in her voice.
	"I'm working on it..."
	"Well, work faster! This isn't funny!" I
prodded urgently, trying not to cry. I looked
desperately to my left and to my right but saw
nothing but dark shadows and poorly lit alleys.
Something caught my attention in the distance. I
pulled away from Jupiter and walked a few steps
toward the curious object. I squinted my eyes and
tried to focus.
	It was then that I recognized it. The youma
was hiding within the deep shadows near the corner
of a building, staring directly at me all the while.
I gasped when the glare from its hate-filled eyes
bore into my own, but I couldn't look away. I tried
to warn the girls, but I found that I couldn't speak,
nor could I move. I was frozen. Panic shot through
my numb body as I watched the youma smirk at me,
knowingly. I realized in horror that it was the
youma who was causing my inert state--it had somehow
trapped me. It began approaching me at a rapid pace,
perhaps preparing to attack, and my eyes widened in
mute horror.
	'Minna ...help me ...' I pleaded silently,
fearful tears stinging my eyes. 'Tuxedo Kamen ...'
	Miraculously, a rose pierced the night sky
and planted itself dangerously close to the youma.
It gasped and froze in place, completely stunned
by the attack. Its mental hold on me was released,
and I joyfully broke away, shaking my head furiously
to rid myself of that awful feeling. The senshi,
alarmed by the sudden appearance of the rose, gasped
when they turned and saw the youma.
	"Now, Sailor Moon!" Tuxedo Kamen cried from
a distance. I glanced to my right and saw him watching
the battle from a rooftop. I sent a million blessings
to him in that instant as I removed the glistening
tiara from my brow. I sent it hurdling toward the
youma at breakneck speed. Still stunned by the rose,
the youma failed to dodge the attack. I stood, terrified
and shaking as the monster disintegrated into dust.
	"Are you all right?" a deep voice asked me.
I turned and looked blankly into the stormy eyes of
Tuxedo Kamen. Was I dreaming? Was he really still
here? Never before had he remained after a youma
attack.
	"Tuxedo Kamen," I whispered. "I ..."
	"What do you want?" snapped Jupiter, stepping
between me and the approaching man. I watched in mute
silence, suddenly losing my courage. Mercury put her
hand on my shoulder, her way of reminding me of what
we had discussed before--that I was not to associate
with Tuxedo Kamen.
	"Guys, you don't understand ..." Mars began
to argue hesitantly. The heated warriors ignored her
and stood their ground.
	"Listen," Venus stepped in, glaring at the
man in black. "We don't know who you are or what you
want."
	"And until we do, we don't want you around
Sailor Moon," Mercury added with uncharacteristic
forcefulness.
	I watched with tears obscuring my vision as
Tuxedo Kamen's eyes darkened a few shades as he looked
into mine, waiting for me to say something. I wanted
to intervene and argue for him, but something inside
of me held back and told me to hide behind my friends.
	The girls continued to glare, albeit with
relief in their eyes, when the tall man turned on
his heel and departed, obviously angered by the
senshi's words and my failure to speak up for him.
As he slipped into the shadows, I finally found my
voice.
	"He was just trying to see if I was all
right..." I whispered quietly, trying my best not
to cry as I watched his disappearing form.
	"I don't care what he wanted," Jupiter spoke
up, arms folded across her chest. "He's not getting
near you."
	I glanced at the other senshi, and they all
looked about as stubborn as Jupiter. All except Mars,
that is. She looked hesitant, and when I fixed a
questioning gaze on her, she looked away quickly.
What was she hiding?
	"Mars...?" I whispered.
	"It's late, Sailor Moon," she said quietly.
"You should get some rest."
	With that, she turned and left, leaving me
alone with the other senshi, uncountable questions
raging in my head.

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----

	After detransforming, I walked back to my
house alone, brooding in silence. The other senshi
had argued that I should walk with them, but I
declined. I needed some time to myself to sort things
out. I didn't know quite what to think of the
encounter I'd just had with Tuxedo Kamen. He had
looked angered by my failure to speak up for him,
and I felt terribly guilty about the whole thing.
	But why had he approached me after the attack
in the first place? He had never done so before. He
had never stayed around to find out if I was injured
or if I needed assistance. What made tonight different?
	My blood ran cold as something I hadn't
considered before came to mind. What if he *did*
stay around after the battles? What if he hid in
the shadows and followed me at a distance?
	
	
	Those were the words he had spoken to me at
our meetings together, and they suddenly held new
meaning. He'd been watching me? Following me? All
the time?! Was he here now? I stopped in mid-stride
and came to a halt beneath a street lamp. I looked
to my left and right and up at the rooftops above
me. I saw nothing but darkness and my own breath
freezing in the cold night.
	"Tuxedo Kamen?" I called out, turning around
in a little circle. My voice sounded small and
unfamiliar as it echoed off the walls of the abandoned
buildings around me. "Are you there? Please--I want
to talk."
	"About what?"
	I squealed in terror. I spun around quickly
and gasped when my eyes met his. There he was, standing
to my right, an unconcerned look upon his face.
"You...how...?" I stuttered in disbelief. "D-Do you
follow me everywhere?" I demanded in an accusing tone.
	"No," he answered simply, not affected by
the anger in my voice. "Only after youma attacks do
I follow you. To insure your safety, of course. Don't
look so offended. It seems as though you've needed
my assistance once or twice if I'm not mistaken."
	My blood turned cold as I remembered the
horrible night in the rain when he'd pressed his
handkerchief to my bleeding lip, my attacker laying
unconscious only a few feet away. I began to tremble
when I realized what he'd meant by the words he'd
spoken that night.
	
	"That's how you knew!" I exclaimed accusingly,
suddenly feeling like the biggest dolt alive. "That's
how you found out that I was Sailor Moon! Because you
followed me!"
	"And you're upset about this because...?"
he prompted, almost mockingly. I could tell that he
was angry with me, but he was attempting to hide it
under a cool exterior. Damn him...
	"I don't understand what you want from me!"
I was practically screaming. "I don't want you
following me! I never asked for your help!"
	"You didn't have to ask," he answered in
the same calm voice, his arms crossed over his chest.
"It's my job to protect you. My duty. And not only
that--I would die if something happened to you."
	"Nani? But the other night you told me that--"
	"I told you that I saved you simply because
you were a human being who deserved to live, and
that is true--to an extent. Now you know the whole
truth."
	"Do I?" I challenged him, stepping forward
angrily. "The whole truth? Somehow I doubt that!
You always seem to be hiding something!"
	"I have my reasons," he countered, stepping
forward as well. We were standing very close. Too
close. I swallowed uncomfortably. "Don't look at me
like that. You know I would never hurt you."
	"Do I?" I whispered with a shaky voice.
	He frowned deeply at my words, and his eyes
darkened considerably beneath his mask. "Why can't
you just trust me? Why is it so hard?"
	"I don't know," I confessed, my eyes falling
to the ground. "The other senshi told me that--"
	"Damn the senshi!" he roared, causing me to
look up in surprise. "This is not about them!"
	"I think it is!" I countered, angered by his
words. "Perhaps they're right about you after all!
Maybe you are the enemy!"
	"Like hell I am ..." he growled in a low
voice.
	"Well, what are you then? An ally? Dammit,
tell me!"
	In one smooth movement, he pulled my body
close to his and sealed my lips with his own, causing
me to cry out in surprise. My senses overloaded the
very second his mouth claimed mine in a kiss that
would make any onlooker blush. After recovering from
the initial shock, my heart was immediately outraged.
I tried to push away, but his grip on me was strong.
His hold was not painful, but it was tight and
unyielding. After a few more moments of useless
struggling, I gave up and fell limp in his solid
embrace. Leaning hesitantly into the kiss, I let a
sea of unexplored emotions wash over me.
	I didn't have much experience with kisses,
but I knew for a fact that this one left the kiss
Mamoru and I shared in the dust. Tuxedo Kamen's kiss
was full of passion and raw emotion while Mamoru's
kiss was innocent and sweet. Please don't misunderstand
me, dear readers--I cherished that meaningful moment
between Mamoru and I, but this...this was...wow.
	The kiss went on, and my mind began to wander.
What would Mamoru think of Tuxedo Kamen kissing me
passionately beneath the moonlight the way only
intimately involved lovers kiss? Would he be jealous?
I recalled the events that had occurred only a few
hours ago with guilt--the way Mamoru had held me as
I cried, his sweet words, his gentle touch, his kiss.
He had been so kind--so uncharacteristically loving.
And here I was, kissing another man when the feeling
of Mamoru's lips was still fresh in my memory.
	I'm not sure how long Tuxedo Kamen and I
stood there, in that intimate embrace, but it felt
like an eternity. When his mouth finally separated
from my own, his hot kisses moved down my jawline
and neck. My eyes closed sadly as tears began to
course down my cheeks.
	
	"Does that answer your question, Usagi?"
Tuxedo Kamen asked, still trailing kisses down my
neck.
	"Tuxedo-san..." I whimpered, my tears
increasing significantly. "Please stop...I can't...
I can't do this. This isn't right."
	His mouth stopped its downward motion
immediately at my words, and he looked me directly
in the eyes. I noted for the first time how his
stormy eyes were so much like Mamoru's--like a
little boy trying to act grown up. They were sad
eyes, and I averted my gaze from them, afraid of
what their depths held. "Are you sure you want me
to stop?" he asked, his ragged breath mingling with
mine.
	"Yes...I can't do this...not with you," I
answered in a shaky voice. "Gomen, Tuxedo Kamen. My
heart belongs to another."
	He drew back a little, perhaps injured
emotionally but doing a good job of hiding it. "I
see," he said, clearing his throat. "Well then--you
certainly have my apology." He let me go abruptly,
and I teetered to one side with dizziness.
	"Please, there's no need to--"
	"Goodnight, Usagi," he cut me off. "I'll be
watching."
	 I opened my mouth to argue, but he was
already gone.

@--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<----- @--<-----


Write me! sailor_moon89@hotmail.com

Stay tuned for chapter seven...coming soon! Join
the Moonlit Eclipse mailing list! You'll hear
about new chapters!

http://www.geocities.com/moonlit_eclipse/

Ja ne!
Aimee-chan

    Source: geocities.com/im_a_good_girl_uk_2000